More qualify for local elections

January 22, 2011 9:32:00 PM

Tim Pratt -

STARKVILLE-- More than 30 people have qualified for the coming elections in Oktibbeha County, while another 26 have qualified in Clay County.

The most recent qualifiers in Oktibbeha County are Leonardo "Knot-Knot" Thompson, a Democrat running for the District 5 seat on the county''s Board of Supervisors, Velisia "Lisa" Wynn, who qualified for the tax assessor/collector race, Tim Cook, who entered the constable race in District 2, Roy E. Carpenter Jr., who is running for county attorney, and John Prate Montgomery Jr., who is vying for the District 1 seat on the county''s Board of Supervisors.

Thompson enters the District 5 supervisor race against incumbent John Young and challenger Sheila Lane. Wynn will face off against Debbie Carrithers and Allen Morgan for the position of tax assessor/collector, which is currently held by Pat Kight, who has not qualified to run for re-election.

Montgomery joins the race for District 1 Supervisor against incumbent Carl Clardy and fellow challenger Willie L. Thompson, while Cook will face incumbent Curtis Randle in the District 2 constable race. Carpenter is the only candidate who has qualified to run for county attorney.

More than a half dozen people also qualified over the last two weeks in Clay County. The most recent qualifiers are Rebeccah Gibson and Eddie Longstreet, both of whom are running for Justice Court judge in District 2 against incumbent Judge Joe M. Taggart, who also qualified.

William Les Pollard qualified for the District 3 seat on the Clay County Board of Supervisors and will run against incumbent R.B. Davis and fellow challenger Larry Smith.

Phillip Collins qualified to run for the District 2 supervisor seat, currently held by Luke Lummus, who also has qualified.

Paige Lamkin and Becky Coe qualified recently to run for the office of tax assessor/collector against fellow challengers Debra Myers and Linda Hannah.

District 1 Supervisor Lynn "Don" Horton, District 4 Supervisor Shelton L. Deanes and District 5 Supervisor Floyd T. McKee also are running for re-election. McKee has a challenger for the District 5 seat in David Winfield.

Circuit Clerk Robert D. "Bob" Harrell Jr. qualified to run for re-election and, as of Friday afternoon, had no challengers. Coroner Alvin Carter Jr. also is running for re-election and has no challengers so far.

County attorney Angela Turner Lairy qualified to run for re-election, along with District 1 Justice Court Judge Thomas E. Hampton, District 1 Constable Sherman Ivy and District 2 Constable Charles "Lewis" Stafford Jr. Clay County School District Superintendent Mae Brewer also qualified for re-election and Comptroller Amy Berry qualified to run for chancery clerk.

In Oktibbeha County, Sheriff Dolph Bryan is running for re-election and has two challengers so far in Steve Gladney and Charles Sanders. For the District 1 constable race, incumbent Jimmy Shurden is not running for re-election due to illness, but four people have stepped up to fill his spot in William Ford, Curtis White, Joe Morse and Shank Phelps. District 3 Constable James Lindsey has qualified to run for re-election and doesn''t yet have any challengers.

Justice Court judges William "Tony" Boykin, W. Bernard Crump and Jim Mills all qualified to run for re-election, though Mills has a challenger in fellow District 3 candidate Buddy Johnston.

Oktibbeha County School District Superintendent James Covington has qualified for re-election, along with Chancery Clerk Monica Banks.

District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer qualified for his re-election bid, but is being challenged by Tremell Sherman. In the District 3 race, Supervisor Marvell Howard has two challengers in Benny Perkins and Dennis Daniels Jr., while District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson so far is running unopposed.

Potential candidates have until March 1 to qualify. The primary election is set for Aug. 2, while the general election is scheduled for Nov. 8.